BRITISH SCHOOLS OVERSEAS (BSO) INSPECTION ......2019/02/25 · modern languages. Achievement is particularly high for those students with SEND because they receive significant and

The British School of Tenerife 29-31 January 2019

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BRITISH SCHOOLS OVERSEAS (BSO) INSPECTION REPORT FOR THE BRITISH SCHOOL OF TENERIFE

The key inspection judgements for this school are:

The quality of education Good 2

Pupils’ personal development Outstanding 1

Safeguarding pupils’ welfare health and safety Good 2

Leadership, management and governance Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of the Early Years’ provision Good 2

Compliance with the British Schools Overseas Standards:

The school meets the standards required of British schools overseas (BSO).

Date of inspection: 29-31 January 2019

SIS

SCHOOL INSPECTION SERVICE


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SECTION A: SUMMARY OF MAIN FINDINGS

The British School of Tenerife meets the standards for British Schools Overseas (BSO). It provides a good quality of education for its students and enables them to make good progress overall. The curriculum is good and meets the aims of the school successfully. Standards of achievement are high in a range of subjects, particularly in the secondary school, and results in public examinations are well above the national average for non-selective schools in England. Very few students are native English speakers, yet they understand English very well and speak fluently and with good pronunciation. Children in the early years are happy, well cared for and make a good start to their education. The quality of the teaching is good overall but better in the secondary than in primary school where despite some excellent teaching, expectations of pupils in key stage 1 are too low and there are limited opportunities for extended writing in some classes. The support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is outstanding and these pupils make exceptional progress throughout the school. Challenging tasks for more able learners are less evident. Assessment and marking require improvement as do the collection and analysis of data to track students’ progress. Throughout the school students’ personal development is outstanding as is their behaviour. They are respectful and caring towards one another, exhibit strong moral values and make friends for life. The school cares well for students’ health and safety. Safeguarding procedures meet the latest guidance and staff are well trained and vigilant. Students are taught in an age-appropriate way how to keep themselves safe, including online. The school has an effective policy for recruiting and vetting staff. Governance of the school is good and has given the school a secure financial platform for further development. The non-academic work of the school is well-managed. However, the educational leadership and management of the school require improvement in order to be good. While senior leaders have ensured that students are happy and well-educated and that all BSO standards are met, the internal performance management structures require a sharper focus so that staff at all levels can be held accountable for their work and teaching is improved where necessary. Monitoring and evaluation require improvement to better inform professional development priorities and school improvement planning. The Senior Leadership Team is unwieldy and inefficient as a decision-making body.

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR IMPROVEMENT:

To secure further improvement, the proprietor should: Improve the quality and effectiveness of assessment, marking and the

procedures for recording, tracking and analysing students’ progress; Raise standards further by extending writing tasks for primary students,

and providing more challenge for students in key stage 1 and for the more able students across the school; and

Improve the ability of leadership and management to drive school improvement by - introducing more rigorous performance management procedures; - providing training for staff involved in monitoring and appraisal; - rationalising the senior leadership team as a decision-making body; and - making the school improvement plan clearer and more manageable.


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SECTION B: INFORMATION

INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION:

This inspection was carried out by the School Inspection Service (SIS) in accordance with the inspection framework agreed by SIS and the Department for Education (DfE) in England for the inspection of British schools overseas.

In reaching their judgements, the inspectors observed lessons; looked at students’ work; reviewed the school’s policies and procedures; examined records; held meetings with members of the Governing Board and with groups of students, and interviewed key members of staff about their work. Inspectors also examined the responses to an online survey of parents’ views completed before the inspection. The inspectors were:

Reporting Inspector: Jane Cooper

Team inspectors:

Eileen McAndrew

Stephen Grounds

Jane Melbourne

Fiona Jacobs (NABSS)

INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL:

The British School of Tenerife was founded by the merging of two schools in the north of Tenerife in 2010: Trinity School (founded in 1991) and the International British Yeoward School (founded in 1967). It is authorised by the Spanish Ministry of Education to offer a British education to children of all nationalities and is a member of the National Association of British Schools in Spain (NABSS). The school is owned by a non-profit-making association of which all current parents are members and is governed by an elected Board. It is an independent, co-educational, non-selective day school which delivers the English national curriculum in English to its students, almost all of whom are non-native speakers of English. There are 604 students on roll aged two to eighteen years, of whom 106 are in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and 53 are in the sixth form. There are no students with an educational or health care plan or who are registered locally as needing educational or medical support, but the school has identified 105 students as having special educational needs or disabilities (SEND) and eight students who are gifted or talented. The school is based on two sites (primary and secondary) which are about ten minutes’ drive apart and located near to Puerto de la Cruz in the north of Tenerife in the Canary Islands. The school aims to develop fully each student’s academic potential, enable them to become fluent speakers of English, and provide them with the personal and social skills they need to become tolerant, caring and responsible members of society.


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SECTION C: THE INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

1. THE QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The quality of education provided by the school is good.

Pupils’ learning and achievement

Students’ learning and achievement are good, particularly so in the secondary school where results in public examinations at key stages 4 and 5 are well above the national average for non-selective schools in England. Last year students achieved top grades at Advanced Level in the sciences, mathematics and modern languages. Achievement is particularly high for those students with SEND because they receive significant and well-targeted support which enables them to achieve good passes at iGCSE and Advanced Level. High attainment, including fluency in at least two languages, often more, ensures that sixth form leavers are able to access a range of university courses across Europe. In the last eight years all students have left the school with the offer of a place in tertiary education. Primary students also achieve well overall but their progress is inconsistent as it is restricted by low expectations in key stage 1. All students work hard and are well engaged in their studies. They concentrate, participate in discussion, work independently, and cooperate well with others. They make very good progress in spoken English, where they speak confidently and fluently with good pronunciation, but some aspects of basic literacy would benefit from improvement. Handwriting is under-developed so that throughout the school many pupils print instead of using a cursive script which limits their speed and efficiency in writing. Much of students’ written work is well presented but some work books at key stage 3, for example, are untidy, with unfinished work and poor presentation. Opportunities to write at increasing length and complexity are in place across the secondary curriculum, but less evident in the primary school. However, by the time they reach key stage 5 students are adept at taking notes and developing a logical and coherent argument, for example in business studies. Students use their information technology skills well in all subjects. Some also have excellent artistic and sporting abilities which are nurtured carefully by the school.

The quality of teaching and assessment

Teaching is good overall and enables the students to make good progress but the quality of teaching is not consistent across the school. Good teaching in the early years is not sustained in key stage 1 where expectations of the pupils are too low because some of the work covered in the early years is repeated and this holds back more able learners in particular. There are limited opportunities to write at length in some primary classes, although very good teaching in Year 6 enables pupils to progress well and reach good standards in their writing by the time they move into the secondary school. There is a high proportion of outstanding teaching in the secondary school. Lessons taught by subject specialists in mathematics, physics, history, modern languages, art, music and drama were of particularly high quality and were characterised by profound enthusiasm, swift pace, and excellent subject knowledge. Teachers use strong pedagogical skills skilfully to help students make very good progress. Lesson planning is effective. In some lessons, such as mathematics and science, work


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is suitably adapted for the different range of students’ abilities but this is an aspect worthy of further development, particularly to ensure that the more able students always remain challenged, as they are rarely given tasks designed specifically to extend and enhance their capabilities, for example through independent research or through exploring additional aspects of class topics. Teachers are constantly alert to the fact that almost all students are learning in their second language. Thus, they are adept at reinforcing specialist vocabulary and technical terminology so that students acquire and use it with confidence and understanding. Teachers at key stages 4 and 5 are well informed about the precise requirements of public examinations and are skilled at ensuring that students are aware of what they need to know and be able to demonstrate in order to attain high grades. Provision for students with SEND is outstanding. Procedures to refer students whose progress is causing concern are set out very clearly and are well understood by staff. Assessment of these students is rigorous and its results are used to design a precise programme of well-targeted support for each individual. Parents are fully engaged in the referral procedure and subsequent support. The specialist workshop which supports students with SEND offers outstanding and well-focused help. Support in lessons is also very effective, enabling students to work confidently with their iPads and specific software so that they can overcome barriers to their learning. Assessment requires improvement. The school does not have an effective procedure for tracking students’ progress reliably through the school, apart from for those with SEND. A promising start has been made in the primary school through the recently introduced ‘GL system’, and its implementation should in time provide sufficient data to measure accurately the progress of students with average or above average ability from their different starting points too. Routine marking of students’ work and periodic testing occurs throughout the school. This is helpful and the best examples provide students with clear advice on how to improve their work. However, the quality and regularity of teachers’ marking is not monitored well enough by senior leaders with the result that its effectiveness is variable. In a few cases students’ work is not marked or they are instructed to complete unfinished work which is not subsequently followed up by the teacher. Marking across the primary school is not of a consistently high quality as it does not give students sufficient information about how to improve their work.

The quality of the curriculum

The quality of the curriculum is good and is overtly designed to be inclusive. It is broad and balanced with a strong emphasis on creativity and caters well for the needs of students of all abilities. Based on the English national curriculum, it also includes the study of Spanish language and culture as required by Spanish education law. It is planned according to the programmes of study for each subject with schemes of work which follow a broadly common format, demonstrating progression and providing good support and guidance for teachers’ medium and short term planning. The schemes make links to students’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and prompt teachers to plan for the wide range of students’ abilities. This works very well for those with SEND but is less evident in planning tasks for more able pupils and is an area for further


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development. Personal, social, health and economic education (PSHEE) is taught through the school up to the end of key stage 3 and this has a very good impact on students’ understanding of the issues facing young people in modern society such as how to keep themselves safe, including online, a topic also reinforced in computer studies. All students become fluent in Spanish and English. In key stage 3 they are able to take up a new foreign language, choosing between French and German. In key stage 4 the school provides a good range of optional subjects in addition to the common core of English, mathematics, science, Spanish and physical education (PE). Modern foreign languages, drama and business studies are popular subject choices where careful planning and good teaching enable students to achieve well. The sixth form curriculum is predominantly academic, with students choosing four Advanced level courses of study, including Spanish, from a comparatively wide range of subjects. The curriculum planning provides for the outstanding support of students with SEND so that their needs are well met. The curriculum is enriched by a wide range of additional opportunities for students to extend their academic, creative and sporting interests. Well-structured workshops in mathematics and for students with SEND and are run after school and provide additional help and practice which boost their confidence. Clubs, day visits and visitors into school extend the curriculum. Students also enjoy participating in a range of concerts, plays and exhibitions. There are good opportunities for primary and secondary students to make residential visits through the Erasmus projects which develop their multicultural understanding.

2. THE QUALITY OF PUPILS’ PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Pupils’ personal development is outstanding. The school has a strong ethos supported by its four key principles of ‘Commitment, Kindness, Honesty and Respect.’ These are firmly embedded in the life of the school. The British values of democracy, individual liberty, the rule of law and respect and tolerance are developed extremely well in an age-appropriate way throughout the school. Excellent planning and teaching in personal, social, health and economic education (PSHEE) enable students to understand themselves as individuals; their relationships with others; their roles and responsibilities within society and their knowledge of the wider world. These themes are reinforced through the curriculum in lessons such as German, history, English and art. Students’ behaviour is outstanding and their attitudes to school are very positive. They are confident, courteous, self-aware and thoughtful young people who are proud of their school and speak very highly of the commitment of their teachers. They are consistently attentive and responsive in class. Secondary students move about the school calmly and purposefully, although primary pupils are more boisterous at play times. The school teaches all students right from wrong and helps them to develop a clear moral code of conduct. The students develop an increasing knowledge of British institutions and culture which reinforces democratic British values and prepares the students very well for life and study in the United Kingdom when they leave. Careers education has a strong focus on university entrance. Most students choose universities in the United Kingdom and are helped in their choice by university fairs held locally and by visitors from


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British universities. Parents and former students are among a wide range of visitors who give presentations about their own career paths so that students have up-to-date knowledge of possible courses to pursue. Social, spiritual and cultural development is outstanding. From the primary school onwards students learn about the major world faiths and show great tolerance and respect for the values, beliefs, cultures and lifestyles of other people. The diverse student population brings an added enrichment to the cultural dimension of the curriculum. The Erasmus project has opened up excellent innovative opportunities for both primary and secondary students to work collaboratively with schools in several other European countries. Primary students have begun a joint project on ‘Who do we think we are?’ with a school in England, while secondary students are working on a collaborative drama production with schools in Italy, Bulgaria and Portugal. Students also have very good opportunities to develop leadership skills by taking on responsibilities such as Head Boy and Head Girl; prefects or members of the School Council in the primary and secondary schools. Democracy in action is practised by pupils putting themselves forward formally and making their own case for election, after which voting takes place. The School Council is extremely well organised and run by the students themselves, who take it very seriously; debating matters of concern or ideas for the improvement of school life. Students are also thoughtful and swift to understand the needs of those less fortunate than themselves. They raise substantial funds for charity and also offer direct help where possible, for example some Year 12 students went to Nepal to work for a month in schools and an orphanage for sick children.

3. SAFEGUARDING PUPILS’ WELFARE, HEALTH AND SAFETY

The school’s provision for safeguarding pupils’ welfare, health and safety is good. The school’s child protection policy and staff code of conduct contain all of the required elements. A separate policy is available for the intimate care of the youngest children. The designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and her deputy are suitably trained and have extensive and up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding and child protection matters. All staff receive regular safeguarding training and notification of updates to legislation and guidance. They understand the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures and acknowledge their collective and individual responsibility for keeping children safe. They know and use effectively the procedure for identifying children requiring early help. The DSL has co-ordinated this information very effectively. Staff are vigilant in referring concerns and allegations immediately. They have become reflective practitioners on the possibilities of peer-on-peer abuse and are not complacent about the potential of any bullying arising at school, being fully prepared for handling this should it occur. The DSL liaises appropriately with the correct external agencies and maintains meticulous, confidential records of all cases. The school has clear policies for handling allegations and complaints and for whistle-blowing. The DSL works closely with the Information and communication technology (ICT) technician to oversee the security of the school’s networks. There is appropriate blocking software and the school is active in shutting down unauthorized downloading. Staff are vigilant in ensuring that all students are working safely online. The students are regularly reminded how to keep themselves safe and


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their personal data secure. The school’s training in safe ICT practice includes events for parents also. A number of senior leaders have undertaken safe recruitment training and one of them is always included on any recruitment panel. All new staff are recruited according to the principles of safe recruitment and are carefully vetted for their suitability to have contact with young people. The school’s single central register (SCR) contains all the required information to show that staff checks have been completed rigorously. The information in the SCR is supported by meticulous staff files. The school has a clear health and safety policy which is implemented effectively. Both school sites are checked annually for safety and maintenance by external authorities in accordance with Spanish law. All accidents and incidents are recorded appropriately and prompt action is taken to eliminate risks and hazards. During the inspection an additional handrail was installed on a sloping pathway and a step was repainted. All staff are trained in first aid procedures, but under Canary Islands legislation teachers are prohibited from administering anything other than ice and water to pupils who have had an accident. Risk assessment procedures are appropriate. They cover all areas of the school’s work including educational trips, but in some cases would benefit from more detail. All necessary measures are taken to reduce the risk of fire. Appropriate tests and surveys are carried out regularly on fire alarms, emergency lighting and electrical equipment. Fire drills and emergency evacuations take place and are recorded as required. The kitchens on both sites are checked annually in line with Spanish requirements and hygienic practices are followed carefully by kitchen staff. The meals served by the school are healthy, nutritious and of good quality. Students learn how to keep fit and eat healthily. Attendance is good throughout the school. The admission and attendance registers are well maintained and backed up regularly. They meet local and BSO requirements. The school has suitable policies to encourage good behaviour through appropriate use of rewards and sanctions. Sanctions for serious offences are rare but are recorded appropriately. The school has developed a robust approach to all forms of bulling including cyber-bullying. The students say that bullying rarely occurs but that where it has done so in the past the school acted promptly and handled incidents effectively, by encouraging students to work together as “peacemakers” to reintegrate socially the parties involved. The DSL is also the school counsellor and is skilled in conflict resolution. The students behave very well.

4. LEADERSHIP, MANAGEMENT AND GOVERNANCE

The leadership and management of the school require improvement. There are strengths but equally areas where action is needed to make a stronger impact on school improvement. Senior leaders have articulated a clear vision for the ethos and values of the school which are well established and shared by staff, students and parents. They have created a cohesive community based on a strong culture of respect, tolerance and good manners in which courtesy, strong relationships and teamwork flourish. They have engaged a strong team of teachers who


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enable students to achieve well. The school produces students who are friendly, tolerant, fair-minded, well-educated, cultured and happy young people who are loyal to their school and well-prepared for the next stage of their lives. The school runs smoothly on a day to day basis. The administrative, maintenance and non-academic side is efficient and well-organised. It supports the school’s work very effectively. Both school sites are well-maintained and fit for educational purpose having good sized classrooms and specialist teaching areas for science, computing, art and drama that are suitably equipped. The primary school has a hall in which physical education (PE) is taught and secondary students have exclusive use of the local municipal sports centre and its facilities for their PE lessons.

Senior managers have been slow to acquire reliable systems for measuring and analysing data on students’ progress which would enable them to know how well all students are progressing from their individual starting points and what needs to be done to raise standards further. Performance management of staff requires improvement. The job descriptions are new and are not yet used as a basis for appraising staff performance and measuring accountability. The current appraisal system for teachers is supportive but lacks rigour. Teachers’ entitlement to staff development is good, but it is often identified by individuals’ wishes rather than by school priorities for improvement. Members of staff in line management and monitoring roles need training for this work. School development planning requires improvement to identify more clearly the key priorities for improvement based on objective self-evaluation and rigorous data analysis. The current school improvement plan is unwieldy; its priorities are unclear; its timeframe is too long and it does not recognise the criteria by which success will be measured and recorded. There are a large number of colleagues on the senior leadership team with different and sometimes overlapping roles and responsibilities. This is not an efficient decision-making body, and there is no concise written record of the key decisions made at their meetings from which to review the action taken. The impact is that school improvement is not driven forward with sufficient speed and success.

Partnership with parents

One hundred and sixty-four of a possible 896 parents completed the online survey of their views. They told inspectors that they appreciate the work of the school and are supportive of it, feeling that their children are well-taught and cared for. Parents receive all the information that the BSO standards require. The school’s policy for handling complaints meets BSO standards and is available on the website. One in five of the parents who responded to the survey did not feel that the school was well led and managed and in some respects the inspectors agree.

Governance The governance of the school is good. The school is owned by the current body of parents as a non-profit-making association and governed by an elected Board of nine parents who are tireless in their commitment to the success of the school. The Board has a clear long term vision for the school’s future development on a single site which is ambitious, realistic and desirable for the future. Since the merger and creation of the British School of Tenerife, the Board has achieved a great deal: most significantly, it has created stability and a solid financial platform


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to support the school’s current activities and secure its future development. The Board meets on a regular basis and is structured through committees governing various aspects of the school’s work. Board members bring complementary professional skills to their work and act wisely in the best interests of the school, but the Board currently lacks educational expertise which would improve its oversight of the leadership and management of the school.

5. THE EFFECTIVENESS OF THE EARLY YEARS’ PROVISION The overall effectiveness of the early years’ provision is good. Teaching, learning and assessment in the early years are good so that the children make good progress in their learning and development, and achieve well in relation to their starting points. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education. Older and more able children are mostly well challenged in the early years, but this is not always so for the rising five-year-olds in the Year 1 class. The youngest children, aged between eighteen months and three years, are well cared for in the playgroup and nursery rooms. The provision made for children’s personal development, behaviour and welfare is outstanding. Leadership and management of the early years are good. The Early Years’ Manager has an ambitious vision and is not complacent about making improvements. Self-evaluation has become more accurate over time. Roles and responsibilities for staff are identified and leaders understand the need to monitor closely all aspects of the provision. Arrangements for assessing staff performance are in place and leaders are beginning to use these to inform the direction of their support, mentoring and professional development. The quality of the early years’ provision for children is good. Classrooms are stimulating and laid out with interesting activities to arouse children’s curiosity. The curriculum has suitable breadth and depth and is highly relevant to the interests and needs of the children with suitable attention given to the prime and specific areas of learning. Staff plan and manage the curriculum well, with individual learning identified for specific children. Teaching and learning are good, resulting in good progress and achievement. Children gain a good understanding of numbers and letter sounds in the early years, but this is not always built on sufficiently well when they move from the reception class into key stage 1. Almost all children speak English as an additional language and are gaining the skills they need to communicate effectively. Staff are improving the efficiency of gathering relevant information. This begins prior to entry with information from each child’s family and from any outside agencies. Baseline assessments are clear and enable the tracking of each child’s progress. The use of online specialist software for recording children’s achievements and identifying their next steps, although in its infancy, is contributing effectively to the close planning for the children’s progress. Formal assessments are also completed regularly. Staff are intuitive and perceptive in identifying those children who are not reaching the required developmental stages and require early help. Excellent help from the SENDCO helps focus individual targets and gain external support where necessary. Children who have any additional needs are supported extremely well to make substantial and sustained progress.


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The children’s personal and emotional development is outstanding. Staff settle children very well upon admission and ensure they feel emotionally secure. They are confident, happy learners, taking their roles and responsibilities seriously, for example, willingly sharing in clearing away. The environment is made safe by regular checks and routine maintenance. Staff conduct risk assessments for all activities, including prior to outings, although this aspect could be improved with staff training. There are effective arrangements to safeguard children and all of the BSO standards for children’s safeguarding and welfare are met. The school promotes equality and diversity very well. It tackles bullying and discrimination by having reasonable policies and procedures in place which are followed closely. Children understand the school’s expectations of their behaviour, which is very good. A few children struggle with their behaviour particularly when they start nursery and staff manage this sensitively and well. Serious incidents are rare. They are recorded on children’s individual records and on a running chronological log which enables the Manager to monitor trends effectively. All staff have basic first aid training and specific paediatric first aid training has been provided by the school. Staff are up-to-date with all of the required safeguarding training. Staff are pro-active in following up any concerns. There are no breaches in statutory requirements for safeguarding. Children understand how to keep themselves safe, including how to keep themselves safe when using technology. Staff encourage healthy practice by providing regular physical activity. Even the youngest children greatly enjoy their music and movement sessions. Children eat healthily and remember to keep themselves hydrated.


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SCHOOL DETAILS

Name of school: The British School of Tenerife

School association membership: National Association of British Schools in Spain (NABSS)

Status of BSO application: First Application

Type of school Independent

Age range of pupils: From: 2 To: 18

Number of full-time pupils aged over 5:

Number of part-time pupils aged over 5:

Boys: 263

Boys: 0

Girls: 235

Girls: 0

Total: 498

Total: 0

Pupils aged under 5 (full-time):

Pupils aged under 5 (part-time):

Boys: 49

Boys: 0

Girls: 57

Girls: 0

Total: 106

Total: 0

Number of pupils (if any) registered locally as needing educational or medical support:

Boys: 0 Girls: 0 Total: 0

Address of primary school: Carretera de La Luz s/n,

38300 La Orotava, Tenerife, Spain

Address of secondary school Camino Montijo16, La Carrera, 38410 Los Realejos, Tenerife, Spain

Telephone number: Primary School: 00 34 822255732

Secondary School: 00 34 822255736

Email address: [email protected]

Website address: www.britishschooltenerife.com

Headteacher: Maurita Simmonds

Proprietor: Asociación sin ánimo de lucro British School of Tenerife

President of the Board of Governors: Marcos Albornoz van Aken

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.britishschooltenerife.com/


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This report has been prepared by the School Inspection Service, which is approved by the Department for Education in England to provide independent professional inspection of British schools in England and overseas. The report is available from the School Inspection Service website: www.schoolinspectionservice.co.uk.

http://www.schoolinspectionservice.co.uk/

BRITISH SCHOOLS OVERSEAS (BSO) INSPECTION ......2019/02/25 · modern languages. Achievement is particularly high for those students with SEND because they receive significant and

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